Roche, Robert Duval, Nicholas Carry, in Pembrokeshire; Guy de Brienne, who held Llacharn or Laugharne Castle, and Geoffrey de Caumville, enjoining them to aid the said William de Caumville in preserving the king's peace; the outbreak however was not put down till the king himself in person marched against the insurgents, during which expedition the abbey of Strata Florida, in Cardiganshire, was burnt down by the king's forces, some say accidentally, others maintain by design.

In Wharton's. Anglia Sacra (vol. I. p. 516, in the chronicle anno 1295) the following passage occurs:

“ Abbas de Strat flur stulte promisit regi quod certo die et loco comitatum de Cardigan adduceret ad pacem Regis sed rege cum exercitu armato diutissime expectante ibidem de Wallensibus nullus venit ideo iratus dixit accendite et sic ignis quæ nunquam dicit sufficit' similiter abbatiam et patriam involvebat.”

The inhabitants of Cardigan and Caermarthen were subsequently exonerated from the operation of martial law on submitting themselves to the king's authority, (Ayloffe's Calendars, 1294-5,) but this did not occur before the unfortunate leader in the insurrection was taken, and, together with two of his companions and accomplices, executed at Hereford, according to the mode of punishment for treason then newly introduced, being drawn at the tails of horses, and afterwards hanged and quartered.

No further notice is taken of him in the history of Wales, and as the name of Maelgwn Vychan (the son of Maelgwn ap yr Arglwydd Rhys) frequently occurs in the transactions of the early part of the thirteenth century, most readers conclude him to be the same individual who reappears upon the scene towards the close of that century in 1293-5. Without further reflecting on or calculating the long intervening lapse of years amounting to two generations, one historian, the late Rev. Thomas Price, however, struck by the length of time that elapsed between the first appearance of Maelgwn Vychan in history, who inherited his father's property in 1230, observes upon the great age he had

. attained in 1294, supposing him to be the same individual

1 Hanes y Cymru, p. 747.

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who was first called Maelgwn Vychan; but, as he could find none other of the name, leaves the point as he found it. Yet independently of the little likelihood of a person upwards of ninety years of age being selected to head an insurrection, the death of Maelgwn Vychan, the son of Maelgwn Mawr, called also sometimes Maelgwn Ieuanc, is recorded in the Brut y Tywysogion, under the date 1255, and his son, Rhys ap Maelgwn Vychan, is stated to have attacked and taken the castle of Aberystywth, in conjunction with his kinsman Gruffydd ap Meredith ap Owen, in 1272, a little before the subjugation of Wales. It appears more probable that the Maelgwn Vychan, who was leader in the insurrection in West Wales upwards of twenty years afterwards, was son of that Rhys ap Maelgwn, as shown in the annexed pedigree.

In contrasting the insurrections headed respectively by Sir Rhys ap Meredydd, and by Maelgwn Vychan, though their fate proved alike unfortunate to both, yet, in the case of the latter, the people had already risen when they chose him for their leader, influenced probably by the fact of his being descended from the ancient princes of the country, and he became complicated in their acts, at first indirectly, or only as an assenting party; but in the case of Sir Rhys ap Meredydd, he was himself the instigator and prime mover in the insurrection, from the disappointment in his avarice and ambition. Pity may be felt for the fate of the one, which can in vain be challenged by the baseness and perfidy of the other. With Maelgwn Vychan ceased the efforts of the CambroBritons to resist the

power of Edward.

PEDIGREE. The Lord Rhys=of South Wales, died 1197. Maelgwn=died at Llanerchaeron, buried at Strata Florida, 1230. Maelgwn Vychan, otherwise Ieuanc=died 1255. Rhys ap Maelgwn=in 1272, takes Aberystwyth Castle, in conjunction with Gruf

fydd ap Meredith ap Owen.

Maelgwn Vychan, executed at Hereford, 1294, with two companions, Conan, &c.

THOMAS OWEN MORGAN.

Correspondeare.

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LETTER OF JOHN HARRIS, BISHOP OF LLANDAFF,

1736. To the Editors of the Archæologia Cambrensis. GENTLEMENI beg to send you for the Archæologia Cambrensis, if you think it worthy of publication, a copy of a letter of one of my predecessors, the Bishop of Llandaff in 1736, relating to the repairs in the Cathedral, which were then in progress. The original was kindly forwarded to me by Lady Rolle, who lately met with it amongst a quantity of letters. It was without the envelope, so that it is impossible to say to whom it was addressed, but Lady Rolle concludes it to have been to one of her late Lord's grandfathers. As we are now engaged in a similar work to that which the Bishop was so anxious to see accomplished, -though unfortunately a considerable portion of our task has been to undo what the bad taste of the last century had done,-the letter has at this time a peculiar interest. Happily the project for taking down the steeples, and finishing with a rustic porch, was not carried into effect. There is one part of the Bishop's letter which is applicable, I am sorry to say, to our present position. Having removed almost every vestige of

. the barbarisms of the eighteenth century, and restored the eastern chapel, the presbytery, and the covered portion of the nave, according to the original type, we shall be obliged to put a stop to our work unless we may hope that God will enable us to proceed by disposing the hearts of charitable persons to favour our design, which is carried on with no other view than to promote the glory of God, and to restore the decency of a place which was set a part so early for his worship. I remain, Gentlemen, yours faithfully,

A. LLANDAFF. Bishop's Court, Llandaff, Aug. 19, 1854.

Wells. Oct. 22d. 1736. Sir,

When I waited upon you in London about Six Years ago, you were pleased to encourage us to undertake the Repairs of the Church of Landaff, by expressing a kind Disposition towards the design, and by being pleased to say that you would be a Contributor, and desiring to have a sight of a Draught of the Church: the next Year when I came to London I took a Draught of the Church along with me, but I was told at your Lodgings that you were then in France.— I now take the liberty to trouble you with this account of our Proceedings in the Repair, hoping your affairs will admit you to honour us with your presence at Landaff, as you once propos’d, that we may be enabled to

justify ourselves in what we have done, by your approbation, or alter, as far as our Circumstances will admit, what you may disapprove. We have repair'd the walls within Sixty feet of the west door, and covered with new Timber the Choir, and carried a new Roof from the East End of the Choir to the above mention'd part of the Body of the Church, and cover'd it with mill'd Lead, and as we have a quarry of alabaster near the place, with other very good Materials for Stucco, we have employ'd a skilful Plaisterer to adorn the Inside in such a manner as decency requires, and we are enabled by our Stock to do. But when we shall get thus far we shall be oblig'd to put a stop to our work, unless we may hope that God will enable us to proceed by disposing the Hearts of charitable Persons to favour our Design, which is carryed on with no other view than to promote the Glory of God and to restore the Decency of a place which was set apart so early for his worship. The Sum that we had rais'd was near two Thousand pounds, and if I could think it would be any Satisfaction to you to see the List of the Contributors with the respective sums contributed, I should take care to send it to you forthwith, who am with my Prayers to God for your Health and Happiness and with great Respect

Sir
Your most obedt. and most humble Servt.

J. LANDAFF. We propose to take down the two Steeples, which at present serve as a Western front to the two Isles, for they are very ruinous, and to raise a tower over the front of the nave, and then to finish with a Rustick Porch. P.S.

I take the Liberty to send you the following Paragraph, which I have caus’d to be transcrib'd out of a letter I send by this Post to Mr. Browne Willis.

I understand that Mr. Davies of Landaff has sent you an account of the Tomb that was found inclos'd in the wall of the Choir. I cannot tell what your Opinion was upon it, but I find by Mr. Wood that this Tomb was laid under a Roman Arch, which he says was no part of the Building of the present Church, but must have been an Arch of the Old Church, which was rebuilt by Bishop Urban; but whether the Mitre & Crosier & Patten and Chalice may not appear to you to bear a Date lower than the Architecture of the Arch is to me a Question, tho to you it may be none. The body was wrapt up in two very large Hydes inclos'd'in a Stone Coffin, the Cover of which is carv'd into the Figure of a Man with the Episcopal Stole and the Head surrounded with a Mitre.

The Conclusion the Architect Draws from this Discovery of the Roman Arch, is that the Church must have been first built by the Romans.

Miscellaneous Jotices.

INSCRIBED STONE IN CAERMARTHENSHIRE.-The following inscription exists on a highly ornamented stone, standing alone in a field on the farm of Glansanan, in the parish of Llanvynydd, near Llandeilo fawr, Caermarthenshire :

6 Jну оп

a

The common people call the stone Llech Eidon; and the tradition is that a saint of that name lies buried underneath it.—Communicated by the late Rev. J. Jones (Tegid).

LLANDAFF.--The Atheneum, in a late number, giving a short description of the repairs of Llandaff Cathedral, adds the following curious alias for that building :-- “ The shrine of St. Taff.”

There is a river in Macedon and there is a river in Monmouth," and the Atheneum might have learned from Bradshaw, to go no deeper, that there is one also in the adjoining county. Possibly St. Taff was conceived to be a Celtic Inachus or Achelous, the canonized genius of the stream. Seriously, without requiring every Englishman to be a Welsh scholar, people might learn something more of the local nomenclature of their own island. It is not very long since a distinguished preacher in London informed his congregation that “this country was once given up to the worship of idols, some of whom had left traces in the names of places, London, for instance, being LlanDiana, the church or temple of Diana. But afterwards,” he went on to state, “ certain holy men came, and, having converted the idolaters, left their names also behind

them, as we see at Llandaff, meaning in Welsh, the church of St. David.”—E. A. F.

LAMPETER.—A correspondent who is interested in tracing Roman roads in Cardiganshire, wishes for information concerning any traces of a Roman road from MARIDUNUM (Caermarthen) to LOVENTIUM (between Lampeter and Tregaron). Can any of the gentlemen resident at Lampeter, who have leisure at their disposal, undertake to give some information upon this subject ?

St. John's PRIORY CHURCH, BRECON.--Rubbings of all the mediæval incised stones in this church have been taken, and are in possession of G. G. Francis, Esq., F.S.A., Swansea, for the Museum of the Royal Institution of South Wales.

ADDENDUM.—To the list of names of places in Anglesey, containining the element Gwyddel, (p. 259,) I have to add Ynys y Gwyddel, near Llanddwyn.-W. B.J.

ERRATA.- Page 179, line 9 from the bottom, for “ learn,” read “ have seen.”—Page 180, line 5, for “centre," read “western.”Page 181, line 4 from the bottom, for “ whilst,” read “unless.”